Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-10-08
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1877.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, Is

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 1887.
The Treasury Department is in a
quandary again over the surplus
question and the buying of bonds to
relieve business distress. Its sea-
sons of relaxation seem to be ex-
ceedinagly spasmodic and OF short
duration. The time of filling and
sinking fund expires OIL the Sth, and
what then to do is most serious
question. 1t is two months yet be-
fore Congress can give any relief,
and how to bridge the interim is
very annoying and perplexing. The
Secretary has had a conference with
the Wall Street bankers, and return
ed Just IN season to have Il short in
tervlew with the President before he
left for the West. 1t is said that the
Secretary questions his authority 10
go much further, though the Wall
Street sharks have no qualms OF con-
science on that point so long as they
have bonds to sell at a good round
price, but don't propose to tender
them very lively on the last bid OF
the Secretary. The result Of the in
teryiew with the President is not
known, as they are extremely retl-
cent at the Treasury Department.
but the presumption is that no defin-
tie policy is settled upon up to this
writing, and that Geographic COM
munication and special messengers
will have to be relied on. This will
sadly mar the pleasure of the Presi-
dents trip, and of course cause more
or less delay and confusion, and all
for the want of some fixed, settled,
and definite policy in regard to our
finances. All this uncertainty and
perplexing anxiety could have been
easily avoided by calling an extra
session, and making amends for the
criminal neglect of the last Congress.
If the administrator were alone the
sufferers, we could view the situation
with some complacency, but where
the entire people are involved, such
lack of forethought seems most stu
pid. ~ s9
Our democratic friends have talk
ed good deal during the past thirty
months about Jeffersonian simplici
ty, and applied it with more wonder
ful dexterity to the present admins
tratlon. The fact of History is this
Jefferson rode down Pennsylvania
Avenue on his nag, tied it to a post
near the capital, and transformations
~ passed through the ceremonies Of
his inauguration. Today President
Cleveland is careering through the
land in a 100000 train of cars,
reckoning for ovation and applause
An eye half open can see the lidicu
lousness of such an absurdity. A
more extravagant and protiigate
subversion of official position was
never before witnessed in this
country, and no wonder that the la
Dor reunions of Milwaukee, Chicago,
and elsewhere, refuse to join in the
demonstrations of welcome, and
characterize the proceedings as
smacking to much of the homage
paid to royalty in Europe" No
wonder there is bitterness and heart
burnings among the laboring mass.
es of the country.
The Interstate Commerce Com
mission, like all other Bureaus and
Departments of Government, is re-
quired to submit to Congress at the
beginning of ever session, estimates
for the coming fiscal year. The law
requires that these estimates shall
be in the hands of the Secretary OF
the Treasury by the first of October.
Most of them generally come in later.
But the Interstate Commerce Com
mission is on hand like sore thumb
this year, and wants $500 for the
Secretary and S150,OO0 for other
necessary expenses-making a to.
tai of 100000. The present appro-
priatlon is 100000, and that was
thought at the time to be extrava-
giant. But heue in less then eight
months, a democratic reform, econo.
mical administration. proposes in
actual report to Congress, to double
the amount? Some inquisitive fell
low might ask, what do we get in re-
turn That is the question, my
dear sir, that Is puzzeling others
than you and me, and it may be
long time before a satisfactory an
swer is given. The expenseis all we.
get now. a as
Sparks, the Commissioner of the
General Land Office. is constantly in
trouble, and he don't seem to learn
anything by experience. After
thirty months Of service, he is appa-
rently as ignorant in regard to his
duties as Nicodemus was relative to
the second birth. The Secretary of
the Interior Department has frequ-
e1tly had occasion to reverse the
decisions of the Commissioner SO
unjustly rendered against the west
ern land settlers, and is now engag-
ed on. another batch. Sparks acts
on the hypothesis that every land
taker is a rascal. and should be
watched and treated as thief. He
is in very bad odor in the, Depart
ment as well as throughout the
country, and it is well known that
the Secretary and other high off
Gals of the Interior desire most ar
IDENTIFY his resignation. 1t is not I'M
likely that a demand will be made
for his absolute dismissal.